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Author Topic: Local BIRs no longer with the taste  (read 4,843 times)

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Many users in the discussion express frustration over the decline in the quality and authenticity of curries from local BIRs, noting that modern offerings often lack the rich, traditional flavors they remember. Several contributors suggest that changes in cooking techniques, health regulations, and a shift towards mass-produced curry bases have contributed to this loss of taste. A consensus emerges that while some places still manage to produce a decent Vindaloo, many others fall short, leading some to consider alternatives like supermarket curries for a more authentic experience.

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Offline thomashenry

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Local BIRs no longer with the taste
« on: November 10, 2005, 01:36 PM »
I'm gettin really annoyed. It is getting increasingly hard for me to find local BIRs that still make good curries with classic taste. Crazy given thet I live in central Oxford, but so many BIRs nowadays are churning out tomatoey curries that have got nothing to do with the BIR food I knew and grew up with.

Had a Bhuna from a place called Samads last night - if you closed our eyes and did blind taste test on it, it could have been an italian pasta sauce with a bit of chilli in it. Terrible.

The only dish that I can still get reliably these days is a Vindaloo; most places still do a decent one of them.

The thing we are all  chasing is something that is becoming increasingly rare.
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Offline raygraham

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Re: Local BIRs no longer with the taste
« Reply #1 on: November 10, 2005, 02:55 PM »
Hi,

I quite agree.
The curry I remember in my teens and early twenties back in the seventies ( in London )was much different to now. Very dark, rick and thick with an unmistakable taste. It was that rich I struggled eating a whole dish.
What has happened I wonder? Has some corner cutting needed to be made to supply increasing demand and save time?
My own thoughts are that curry twenty years ago was more based on traditional Indian home cooking than the massed produced "curry base" dishes we get nowadays. Gradually we have been subjected to a slow change in style and technique which gives us wehat we have now?!?!

There is just one place near where I live now (Keighley, West Yorks) that makes curry like it used to be and that is in Nelson, Lancashire. I agree with you the Vindaloo is the better bet for that retro taste we used to enjoy.

Ray
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Offline slimboyfat

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Re: Local BIRs no longer with the taste
« Reply #2 on: November 11, 2005, 06:51 PM »
I have noticed a trend in lots of restaurants to move towards traditional "Avaunt Guarde"  recipes and cooking, I used to love the proper old style restaurant with Red flock wallpaper and miserable waiters and not something that resembles a dentist?s waiting room!!
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Offline vin daloo

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Re: Local BIRs no longer with the taste
« Reply #3 on: November 16, 2005, 04:07 PM »
Ive noticed the missing taste in  quite a few bir/takeaways, i could make as good if not better.  Since my favourite closed down a while back i havnt had a really good one.  Maybe it could be something to do with new health and safety regulations - something to do with re-using oil or something, who knows.
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Offline DARTHPHALL

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Re: Local BIRs no longer with the taste
« Reply #4 on: November 16, 2005, 06:46 PM »
I only know of 2 local BIR`S that have the taste, the others i wouldn't even bother with & would rather go to Lidle`s & buy one of their chilled Curries, i like the dark highly spiced Curries of old & make them from time to time.
DARTH...
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Offline John

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Re: Local BIRs no longer with the taste
« Reply #5 on: November 16, 2005, 07:03 PM »
Darth, Which ones from lidl do you recomend ?
I've tried most curries from tesco but i find the taste is just to manufactured.
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Offline George

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Re: Local BIRs no longer with the taste
« Reply #6 on: November 16, 2005, 08:26 PM »
I flagged up a few months back that Lidl's FROZEN chicken korma tastes more like a BIR curry than any other supermarket curry I've had, not that korma is the best test dish for assessing 'the taste'. It was only 89p at the time, on long term special offer and still only just over ?1.

Regards
George
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Offline DARTHPHALL

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Re: Local BIRs no longer with the taste
« Reply #7 on: November 19, 2005, 10:57 AM »
Hi John i recommend you try them all as Ive not been disappointed with any so far.
If you would like to try & get the old fashioned taste just put over half a 85g tub of sharwoods Curry powder in your next Curry it will make it strong & thick just like the old days.
DARTH..............
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Offline Yellow Fingers

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Re: Local BIRs no longer with the taste
« Reply #8 on: November 20, 2005, 01:25 PM »
I have recently gone back to? putting chicken stock in my base sauces because it definitely brings the final curry closer to the curries I remember of old. I think the curry houses are now more aware of the possibility of being sued for adding meat stock to veg curries, even though they don't necessarily call the veg curries they make with it vegetarian. I think there has been a move not to include stock and this is part of the reason that we are missing the depth of flavour curries used to have.
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